Few of the population based studies of stroke risk factors have examined risk factors specifically in women, or in Hispanics. It is unclear whether stroke risk factors that are well-documented in published reports in other populations are of equal importance in women and in Hispanics. To examine risk factors for stroke in non-Hispanic white women and Hispanic women, we conducted a case/control study of women hospitalized in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We interviewed 161 stroke cases and 241 controls, and included 34% Hispanics. Using stepwise logistic regression, for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites combined, risk factors for stroke included: elevated lipids (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.99-2.40), history of ischemic heart disease (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.19-3.15), history of previous stroke or TIA, and history of moderate alcohol use. (For individuals with no history of moderate alcohol use, history of previous stroke or TIA conferred an OR of 3.03, with 95% CI 1.76-5.32.) History of female hormone use had a negative association with stroke (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.41-0.97). For Hispanic women, significant variables were ischemic heart disease (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.25-5.87), and history of previous stroke or TIA (OR 3.40, 95% CI 1.44-8.01). Our data suggest that risk factors for stroke may differ in Hispanic women compared with non-Hispanic white women, and that prevention strategies should be modified to reflect these differences.